Machine for making insulating elements.



C. H. THORDARSON.

MACHlNE FOR MAKING INSULATING ELEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 20. 1914.

1,2$O,37? Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. H. THORDARSON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING INSULATING ELEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, I914.

Patented, Mar. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- x 4 WM 2 6.90%.

C. H. THORDARSON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING INSULATING ELEMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1914.

1,220,377. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. WWGSSGS WETED ,saaans manna WFFICE.

CHESTER H. THORDARSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING INSULATING ELEMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2?, 1917.

Application filed April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,182.

I To all whom it may concern:

insulating material -to thereby produce the said sheet at the tlme ofform ng the Be it known that I, CHESTER H. THORDAR- SON, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certaln new and-useful Improvements inMachines for Making Insulating Elements; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form apart of thls specification.

This invention relates to a novel machine for making insulatingelements, either ofv flat or tubular form, for use in insulatingconducting elements of electrical and electro-magnetic devices, and theinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of elements shownin the drawings and described in the specification and is pointed out inthe appended claims. H

An insulating element embodying my invention (and which may be made inthe form of a sheet, or a tube ofvarious cross consists ofa hard, rigidbody por-.

sections) tion that comprises a plurality of layersor sheets laid oneupon the other and highly compressed, with aninsulating compound spreadbetween and impregnating said sheets or layers uniformly throughout themass. Such insulating compound is applied while hot and hardens uponcooling.

so as to constitute, in addition toits insulatmg properties, ity to thebody.

Themethod for making said insulating elements consists essentially inwinding a sheet of suitable fibrous, somewhat porous, about a rotatingform, a tube and applying to a factor in imparting rigid same into thetube a heated insu-latin gcon'rpound in the form of a liquid whichimpregnates the sheet throughout its area, andof such insulatingcompound is applied between the successive laywhereby also a film ers ofthe resultant roll ling air and water from between the layers asthey'are wound upon the. roll, the compound subsequently hardeningso asto produce .an exceedingly hard and rigid structure which possesses anenormous insulating capacity as compared to its thickness.

or tube, and expel- 'the melted Whenthe insulating element assumes theformof a flat sheet it may be made by longitudinally slitting ordividing the tube after it has been formed and before the insulatingcompound hardens, and thereafter flattening said tube or shell andapplying pressure to press the layers together while the insulatingcqmpound between and impregnating the layers hardens.

hen the insulating element has the form of a tube of generallyrectangular-cross section, such as are used in many transformersembodying a core of rectangular cross sectlon, pressure may be appliedexteriorly to the wall of the tube before the same has har dened tocompress'the layers of the tube between the corner angles thereof togive flattened form to the sides thereof.

In practice, the sheet of insulating material from which the body of theinsulating tube, or other element is produced may be reeled upon arotating mandrel or form 'of collapsible structure so that it maybecollapsed after the formation of the tube and removed therefrom. Thesaid form or mandrel may be mounted in a suitable tank or receptaclewhich is adapted to contain a bath of heated liquid insulating compoundvformed tube remains on the form pressure is applied to: the longitudinalsides of the tube to compress the layers between the corner anglesthereof, which layers have a tendency to bulge outwardly during theforming operation, by reason of the non-circular cross section ofthemtube.

may be applied by means of suitable Such pressure tudinal presserplatesthrough the medium of screw threaded or other convenient availablepower.

is to assume a flat form, thetube-or. 'shell produced on the collapsibleform'isjremoved from the form while hot and is thereafter When theinsulating element? flattened and compressed while the insulatingcompound is cooling, between upper and lower presser plates of suitabledimensions toexert uniform pressure throughout the area of the flattenedsheet.

In the drawings Figure 1 v is a diagrammatic transverse section of theessential elements of a machine for practising my improved method.

Fig. 2is an'end view of the form with a newly formed tube thereon.

Fig. 3 is a like view showing a method of compressing the sides of arectangular tube to flatten the same- Fig. 4 is a transverse view of oneform of insulating tube embodying my invention.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, broken away, of anotherconstruction of form with the tube thereon.

Fig. 6 is a transverse view .of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

i Fig. 7 is view similar to Fig. 6, showing the form collapsed.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner of producing aflattened form of insulating element.

Fig. 9 is a transverse view of the machine for carrying the process intoeffect.

' Fig. 10 is a plan view of the machine.-

Fig. 11 is a detail illustrating a tension device applied to the rollfrom which the sheet is unwound onto the forming member.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view broken illustrating the construction ofthe form or'mandrel with the tube formed thereon and before the saidform has been collapsed to re-' move it from the tube.

Fi 13 is a fragmentary detail of a scraper bar or removing globules ofair and water from the sheet just as it is being wound upon the form.

In Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings, are illustrated the severalsteps or stages of producin both the tubular and the fiat form ofinsulating element, and in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, is illustrated amechanism which may be employed to carry the process into eifect, andwhich will be readily understood whencompared to the steps of theprocess shown in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive. First referring to the generalelements of the machine, 15 designates an open-topped receptacle, madepreferably of sheet metal,

which is adapted to contain the bath of insulating compound. Saidreceptacle is supported on end frames, designated as a whole by '16, 16,made of any suitable or preferred configuration and suitably connectedtogether. The contents of the receptacle or tank 15 may be heated eitherby electricity, a steam coil or aburner pipe, which latter is hereinshown and designated by 17 One typ'e'of form or mandrel 18 on which thesheet material to produce the tubular insulatingelement is wound isillustrated most clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 12 and is'made as follows:

19 designates a shaft which extends longitudinally across theopen-topped receptacle 15 and is mounted in suitable bearings 20, 20supported on the end frame 16. The said bearings may be made of anysuitable or preferred construction to permit removal of the form. The.said shaft 19' carries at its ends blocks 21 provided with centralopen-- ings or apertures adapted to snugly fit the shaft. Extendingbetween saidv blocks 21 are a series of parallel bars 23, 23 hereinshown as having the form of angle bars, and each adapted to fit at itsends upon the corners of the blocks 21, with the members of the barsoverlapping the adjacent edge faces of the blocks. The said edge facesof the blocks are tapered inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 12, so that theblocks may be moved endwise away from the bars to collapse the form. Thebody of the form comprises further elongated members 25 which fit overand laterallybridge between the bars 23 and extend from end to end ofthe form. Said members. 25 are exteriorly shaped to give the desiredinterior cross section to the tubeformed thereon. Surrounding themembers 25 is a sheet metal casing 26 which is made 'sufliciently thinto conform to the members 25 and constitutes the surface on which thelayers of the in sulating material are immediately wound; said casingbeing provided to afford a smooth and continuous non-stitching surface.on

which the layers are wound. The said memthe frame and geared to a spurwheel 32 that isnon-rotatively fixed, in any convenient manner, to oneend of the shaft 19. If the bearings 20, 20-be divided bearings, thespur wheel 32 may be fixedly attached to the shaft and removed from themachine with the form. As herein "shown, the driving gearing between themotor and the shaft comprises a worm 33 on the motor shaft which mesheswith a worm-wheel 34 on an 39 is carried to the form over a guide roll42 mounted between. the end members of the machine frame above the,open-topped receptacle; below two guide rolls 43, 44

mounted in suitable bearings at the bottom of the receptacle, and one ateach lateral side thereof, and beneath a pressing or ironing roll 45arranged closely adjacent to and parallel with the form at the linewhere the sheet is laid upon said form. The said spring 50 which isconnected at one end by an adjustable connection 51, to an arm 52 whichextends upwardly from the casing 15, and is connected at its other end,through the medium of a link 53, to a cross rod or bail 54 that extendsbetween and is attached at its upper ends to the ironing rollcarryingarms 47. The adjustment of said ironing roll spring is shown aseffected by slotting the arm 52 to receive a locking bolt 55 by which tolock the plate 51 to said arm.

The guide roll 44 is herein shown as mounted in bearings 56 carried bythe lower ends of brackets 58 that are detachably fixed at 59 in anysuitable manner to the upper rear edges of the receptacle 15, wherebythe roll may be removed for the purpose of cleaning same. In order toprevent the roll from being pulled away from the rear Wall of the tank15 by the tension stress of the insulating sheet 39, the brackets 58extend behind the upturned ends of brace bars 60 arranged transverselyacross the bottom of the receptacle.

The roll 43 is also removably mounted on the receptacle. As hereinshown, the shaft of said roll 43 is carried by arms 62 which are-carriedat their upper ends by slotted blocks 63 that are suitably mounted onvertically arranged bars 64 which extend upwardly from the end frames ofthe machine. The said blocks are adapted to be locked to the said bars64 in vertically adjusted positions by means of clamping bolts 65 orother suitable clamping devices. Thereby the roll 43 may be adjustedvertically in the receptacle 15 to facilitate threading the insulatingsheet beneath the roll and may be raised out of the receptacle for thepurpose of-cleaning the roll.

In order to remove water and bubbles of air from the insulating sheet asthe sheet rises from the liquid or melted insulating compound in thereceptacle around the ironing roll 45, I may provide a scraper 67 thatextends between and is carried by the ironing roll supporting arms 47and is spring pressed toward the winding sheet on a line immediatelyadjacent to the application of the sheet of paper to the winding form.Preferably the ironing roll is partially submerged in the meltedinsulating compound and the scraper bar engages the sheet on said rolljust above the level of the liquid. The said scraper is preferablyperforated near its scraping edge, as shown in Fig. 13, so as to permitair which may rise between the ironing roll and scraper to escape. Anyair which may rise from the liquid against the forming tube may bescraped ofi' by a second scraper bar 68 that is carried by the ironingroll arms and is spring pressed toward said tube.

In the operation of the machine, a roll of insulating sheet supported onthe reel 38 is threaded over and underthe various guide rolls beforereferred to, and is attached at its leading edge in any suitable mannerto the form 18. Thereafter the form is rotated slowly to wind theinsulating material upon the same. The sheet, in its passage through themelted insulating compound, which latter is heated to a temperature tomaintain the same in a liquid state, becomes impregnated by saidcompound. Not only does the sheet become so impregnated, but a film ofthe compound adheres to the sheet so that between each layer of the tubethereby formed there re mains a film which adds to the insulatingproperties of the compound impregnated body. When the form is of generalrectangular cross section, as indicated by A in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 9 and 12,there is a tendency for the layers between the corner angles of theresultant tube to be wound somewhat more loosely than at the corners andto thereby bulge outwardly, as indicated at a in Fig.2. In order toflatten the outer sides of the tube or shell I may apply presser plates70, such as are shown in Fig. 3, which extend longitudinally of the formand are adapted to be clamped to the end blocks of the form, in anysuitable manner, by means of screw-threaded bolts 71 which extendthrough openings in the presser plates and into the same holes 29 whichreceive the fastening bolts 28. After the pressure has been thus appliedto the soft, impregnated tube it is allowed to cool, whereby the wallsof the tube harden or set to produce the resultant or finally rigid tubeof the desired cross section. Thereafter the form is collapsed bypulling the blocks 21 outwardly away from the bars 23, after the screws71 have been removed, whereby the said bars 23 and the members 25collapse or fall inwardly and may be readily removed from the finishedtube A.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I have shown a form adapted to produce a cylindi 1ctube B. In

- produce squared edges.

this construction the form consists of a longitudinally slit mandrel 75,end pieces or plugs 76, 77 and an axial shaft 7 8 on which the plugssnugly fit. The peripheries of the plugs are tapered inwardly so thatwhen forced into the hollow mandrel they serve to open. or spread thesame, as shown in Fig. 6. The mandrel is made of sufficient thickness tomake it stiff enough to resist the tension imposed thereon during therolling of the tube on the form. The end pieces or plugs 7 6, 7 T areremoved when the mandrel is to be collapsed, whereupon the resiliency ofthe mandrel causes it to close, as indicated in Fig. 7, so that it maybe withdrawn from the tube B. lVhen the insulating tube is to be used inits-cylindric form as an insulating element it is allowed to cool uponthe form.

When it is desired to produce a flat sheet, the tube produced by eitherof the forms,

' and preferably by the cylindric form, is slitted longitudinally, asindicated at b,'in Fig.

8, and is spread flat to produce the sheet C.

The sheet is compressed during the time the insulating compound iscooling between upper and lower clamping members 80, 81

by any suitable pressing devices, indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8. Thepressure applied to the insulating element during the hardening orsetting operation may be 0therwise effected, as for instance, by airpressure, as where the element is fabricated in a vacuum and allowed toharden under atmospheric pressure. Such an arrangement is shown in myco-pending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 15,930, filed onthe 20th day of March, 1915. The tapered edges of the sheet produced byflattening the slitted cylinder may be thereafter sheared 05 on thedotted lines indicated at c to A tension is applied to the sheet betweenthe roll on the reel 38 and the form so that the sheet may be tightlywound upon the form so as to lay the layers closely and compactly uponeach other. As herein shown, the tension means consist of a brake thatis applied to the reel 38. The said brake may comprise a divided collar85, the ends 86 of which are apertured to receive a clamping bolt 87 bywhich the collar may be clamped upon the" reel, or a part which rotatestherewith, with varying pressures, depending upon the tension suitableto be applied to the sheet. The said collar and reel are provided withsuitable friction surfaces as are common in such brake devices. The saidbrake collar is anchored to a fixed part of a pin 91 to a bracket 92fixed to the frame.

The said link 90 preferably has the form of a spring scale, embracing aspring element which constitutes a yielding anchor for the brake collar,and an indicator point whichis movable over a graduated dial 93 toindicate the tension applied to the sheet.

An important feature of the method of making insulating elements, asdescribed, is embraced in the steps or stages whereby the sheet is woundupon the form or mandrel at a high tension so that the successive layersare laid closely and tightly upon each other during the formation of theinsulating tube or element. combined with the step of uapregnating thesheet with the insulating compound as the tube is formed, andmaintaining the compactness of the resultant body (or increasing it incertain parts thereof) during the time the compound sets or hardens.Thereby'is produced an exceedingly hard, rigid and compact body whichhas an'enormous resistance to the passage of an electric current.Moreover, thereby air and water entrained in the melted insulatingcompound is expelled from between the turns of the resultant laminatedstructure, so that the structure of the wall has practically the sameresistance qualities as a solid shell. The expulsion of the air andwater from the ,laininated tube is greatly facilitated by theapplication of the scraper devices immediately at the line of laying thesheet on the form. The presence of air or water in the body of the tubeis highly objectionable and the means whereby these elements may beexeluded constitute a very important step in' the manufacture of thetube or shell.

A further advantage derived from the inyention is the low cost atwhichthe insulating element may be produced. The material which enters intoits composition is con'iparativelv inexpensive and the power required tooperate the machine, when a machine is employed to practise the method,is very small. The product described 'is not herein made the subject ofthe claims, but the same is claimed in a .divisional application hereof,Serial No. 28.553 filed on 17th day of May, 1915.

I claim as my invention 1. A machine for the purpose set forthcomprising a receptacleto contain a liquid insulating compound. awinding form mounted in the receptacle and adapted to be partlysubmerged in the liquid, during the 'winding, with means to rotate itand to feed a sheet of insulating material through the liquid and reelit on said form.

2. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising a receptacle 'tocontain a liquid insulating compound, a winding form mounted in thereceptacle in position to'be partly submerged in the liquid .during thewinding, with means to rotate it and to feed feed a sheet a sheet ofinsulating material through the comprising a receptacle to contain aliquidinsulating compound, a form mounted in the receptacle in positionto be partly submerged in the receptacle during the winding, with meansto-rotate it and to feed a sheet of insulating material through theliquid and reel it on said form, and'asmoothing roller held against thesheet at the line of laying the sheet thereon.

4. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising a receptacle tocontain a liquid insulating compound, mounted in the receptacle inposition to be partly submerged in the receptacle during the winding,with means to rotate it and to of insulating material through the liquidand reel it on said form, a smoothing roller spring pressed against thesheet at the line of laying the sheet thereon and means to vary hepressure of said roller against said form.

5. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising a receptacle tocontain. a liquid insulating compound, a winding form mounted in thereceptacle and adapted to be partly submerged in the receptacle duringthe winding, with means to rotate itand to feed a sheet of insulatingmaterial through the liquid and reel it on said form, a smoothingelement for pressing the sheet on said form at the line of laying thesheet thereon, swinging arms in which said smoothing element isrotatively mounted, adjusting means, with spring connections between thesame and said arms, and means to lock the adjusting means in differentpositions of adjustments.

6. A machine for the purpose set forth: comprising a receptacle tocontain a liquid insulating compound, a winding form mounted in thereceptacle and adapted to be partly submerged in the liquid during thewinding, a sheet of insulating material through the liquid and reel iton said'form, a smoothing element for pressing the sheet on said form atthe line of laying the sheet thereon, and a wiping member in contactwith said sheet just in rear of the smoothing element.

In a machine for the purpose set forth, a collapsible form comprisin acollapsible body, a shaft arranged axial therein and blocks fitted tothe shaft and having relatively movable, inwardly tapered portions toengage in the ends of the collapsible body and movable relativelythereto in the axis of said shaft. h

8. In a machine for'the purpose set forth, a collapsible form comprisinga collapsible body, a shaft arranged axially therein, blocks a windingform with means to rotate it and-to feed fitted to the shaft and havingrelatively movable, inwardly and oppositely tapered portions, to engagein the ends of the collapsible body and movable relatively thereto, inthe axis of said shaft, and means to attach the form body to saidblocks.

9. In a machine for the purpose set forth,

a collapsible form comprising a shaft, blocks .thereonmovable toward andfrom each other and having inwardly tapered peripheries and membersextending between said blocks and directly and non-yieldingl-y supportedat their ends on said peripheries, whereby the blocks may be removedendwise from said members to permit the form to collapse. .10. In amachine for the purpose set forth, a collapsible form comprising ashaft,blocks thereon having inwardly tapered peripheries and members extendingbetween said V blocks and supported at their ends on said peripheries,whereby the blocks may be removed endwise from said members to permitthe form to collapse and pressure bars to' engage the exterior sides of.a tube reeled on said form, with means to press them inwardly againstsaid tube.

11. In a machine for the purpose set I forth, a collapsible formcomprising a shaft, blocks thereon having inwardly tapered peripheriesand members extending between said blocks and supported at their ends onsaid peripheries, whereby the blocks may be removed endwise from saidmembers to permit the form'to collapse, bars applied to the exteriorfaces of a tube reeled on said form, and screws passing through saidbars and engaging screw-threaded holes in said blocks to press the barson said tube.

12. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a collapsible formcomprising a shaft, apertured rectangular blocks fitted thereto andhaving inwardly tapered edges, angle bars fitted to the corners of andextendlng between said blocks, and members laterally bridging said anglebars from end to end thereof and removably attached to said blocks.

, 12 A machine for the purpose set forth comprising a receptacle tocontain a liquid insulating compound, a formmounted ln said receptacleto rotate partially submerged in the liquid, means to feed an insulatingsheet through the liquid and reel it said receptacle to rotate partiallysub-V merged in. the liquid, means te feed an insulatingsheet throughthe hquld and reel it on said form, a laying-onroller to press the sheetagainst said form as it is wound there comprising a receptacle tocontain a liquid on, and scraper means acting on said sheet to scrapewater and air globules therefrom before it is reeled on the form.

15. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising means for fabricatingan insulating element of laminated structure, com

prising assembling means with means to support it partially submerged ina body of insulating material and means to feed the sheet laminae tosaid assembling means and to operate the assembling means.

16. A machine for the purpose set forth insulating compound, a formmounted in said receptacle to rotate partially submerged in the liquid,means to feed an insulating'sheet through the liquid and reel it on saidform, a laying-on roller to press the sheet against said form as it-iswound thereon, means to produce a substantial ten-.

- sion on the sheet to wind it closely on the form and means closelyadjacent to the line of laying on of the sheet on the form to free thesheet of air, gases and water;

18. A machine for the purpose set forth, comprising a receptacle tocontain a bath of liquid insulating compound, a rotative winding form,with means to rotate it, means to feed a sheet of saturatableinsulating. material through the liquid and reel it on said form, saidform being located in such immediate/adjacency to. the said bath thatthe saturated sheet is laid tightly thereon 1 immediate'y adjacent toits line of emergence from the bath and means between the bath and formto free the surfaceof the sheet of free fluid.

' 19; A machine for the purpose set forth comprising a receptacle tocontainan insulating compound," a rotatable form. within the receptacle,means to feed an insulating sheet through the liquid and feed it on saidform, and means separate from the formto free the sheet of air, gas orWater.

In testimony, that Iclaim the foregoing as my invention I afiix mysignature in the presence of two- Witnesses, this 17th day of April A.D. 1914.

. CHESTER THORDARSON. Witnesses? G. E. DOWLE,

.W. L. HALL.

